Contact carrier



H. A. DOUGLAS.

CONTACT CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILE-D FEB. 4. 1912;.

1 32 44, Patented 0m. 24L, 1922.

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Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

HARRY A, DOUGLAS, OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

CONTACT CARRIER.

Application filed February 4, 1918. Serial No. 215,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. DoUcLAs, citizen of the United States,residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, haveinvented'a certain new and useful Improvement in Contact Carriers, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to contact carriers, one feature of the .inventionresiding particularly in contact carriers that are in the form of plugs.It is the object of this feature of my invention to provide a given plugfor the reception of a terminal conductor or conductors passed into theplug either from end to end of the plug or through a side of the plugand thence toward one end of the plug. This feature of my invention maybe practiced in conjunction with a socalled single pole plug or aso-called double pole plug.

In carrying out this feature of the invention I provide a plug with onebore, if the plug is a single pole plug or two bores if the plug is adouble pole plug, such bore or bores extending longitudinally throughthe plug. There is also provided one or two bores, as the case may be,which communicate with the aforesaid bore or bores and extend laterallyinto the plug. The longitudinally disposed bore or bores are thus alwaysin service in whole or in part whether the conductor or conductors arepassed into the plug longitudinally or laterally thereof, the lateralbores not being used, as the invention "is preferably practiced when theconductors extend from end to end of the plug.

The plug is desirably divided lengthwise into sections, a half of eachbore being formed in each section of the plug. Where the plug is formedin sections it is desirably provided with a sheath for maintaining thesections in assembly.

The invention has for another of its objects the provision of improvedmeans forholding a plug or other contact carrier, such as the plughitherto described, in assembly with a shell of a circuit extendingdevice. In practicing this feature of my invention I employ a springsecured to and extending laterally of the shell and located to engagebayonet pins upon a plug orother carrier and hold them in their seatsthat are formed in the bayonet slots in the shell. This spring ispreferably rigidly anchored to the shell at the intermediate portion ofthe spring and the sprlng ltself extends transversely of the shell tohave its ends engageable with the bayonet pins.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 isa View, in longitudinal section, illustrating a connector having a shelland plug equipped in accordance with my invention, one of the twoarrangements of conductors being shown in conjunction with the plug, alamp being shown in elevation within the shell; Fig. 2 is a view on line2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows another disposition of conductors within theplug of'the connector; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the structure asit appears in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view in plan of the rear part of theshell appearing in Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a view of the shell as it appears in Fig. 5 minus theretaining spring; Fig. 6 is a View in perspective showing the two partsof the core of the plug in separated relation; and Fig. 7 shows inperspective the sheath that I prefer to employ for the plug when it isused as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures. I

The shell 1 of the connector is preferably metallic. Its front end isprovided with bayonet slots 2 adapted to receive the bayonet pins 3 thatproject laterally from the base 4 of the incandescent lamp 5. Thefilament 6 of the lampis connected with the contacts 7 and 8 that areprovided upon the base of the lamp. Both of these contacts are shown asbeing upon the inner end face of the lamp base inasmuch as the connectorillustrated is a so-called two pole connector, but to which type ofconnector the invention is not to be limited. A contact carrier 9,

of insulating material, is fixedly located in, the mid portion of theshell. 'Metallic spring barrels 10 and 11 are secured to and passthrough the contact carrier 9. Coiled springs 12 and 13 are locatedwithin the spring barrels. These coiled springs press the contactplungers 14 and 15 forwardly to have them respectively engage thecontacts 7 and 8 upon the lamp base. These same springs press thecontact plungers 16 and 17 rearwardly to engage them with contacts 18and 19 that are suitably connectedwith the terminals of a source ofcurrht through the interinediation of flexib1e con ductors 20 and 21.

The contacts 18 and 19, the conductors 20 and 21 leading to thesecontacts and the coverings or serving for these conductors are disposedwithin and are carried by a contact carrying plug of insulatingmaterial, which contact carrying plug is preferably dividedlongitudinally into sections by being symmetrically formed into halves22 -23 as illustrated in Fig. 6. Two cylindrical bores 24, 25 extendlongitudinally through the oontact carrying plu 22,-23, the half of eachbore being iorme in each half of said contact carrying plug.Transversely extended bores 26, 27 merge with the bores 24, 25, thebores 26, 27 being curved forwardly to merge gradually with the otherbores. .A half of each of the bores 26, 27 is formed in each half of thecontact carrying plug 22-23. When the conductors 20, 21 extend into theplug 2223 laterally of such plug the sheath 28, clearly illustrated inFig. 7, is employed, the bore of this sheath being e ual in diameter tothe diameter of the Slug whereby the two halves of the plug areprevented from slipping transversely of the sheath. The rear ends of theplug'halves 22, 23 abut. against the rear end wall 29 of the sheath 28.The forward end of the sheath is turned'inwardly, as indicated at 30 inFig. 1, to engage the front ends of the plug halves 22, 23. The twohalves of the plug are thus prevented from sli ping endwise with respectto each other. ferrule 31 encloses the conductors 20'and 21' and a'tube32 through which these conductors are led. This ferrule has a head orflange 33 that is located within the interior of the sheath 28, saidferrule projecting into this sheath through the slot 34 that is formedlongitudinally of the sheath 28 to permit the ferrule to be slipped intothe sheath from the front end thereof.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 the conductors 20 and 21 firstpass through the bores 26, 27 before passing into the bores 24, 25. Inthe arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the conductors projectthrough the rear end of the contact carry ingplug 22 -23 extendingthroughout the entire length-of the bores 24, 25 and passing.

through no part of the bores 26, 27. In this arrangement the ferrule 31is omitted and the sheath 28 is minus the longitudinal slot 34 but hasits rear end open as indicated at .35 in order that the conductors maypass from the plug. To maintain the conductors '20, 21 and theirterminal contacts 18 and 1.9 in assembly with the contact carrying plug2223, I provide said contacts with flanges 35, 36 that arereceivedwithin the annular; enlargements 37, 38 of the bores 24, 25.

'1. The ends of the retaining spring are The sheath of the plug 22-23,whether of the form illustrated in Fig. 1 or of the form illustrated inFig. 3, is provided with bayonet pin extensions 39 receivable withinbayonet slots 40 provided in the rear end of the shell 1. Instead ofrelying upon the contacts 16 and 17 to maintain the bayonet pins 39 intheir seats within the bayonet slots or channels 40 I provide a strip orwire retaining external spring 41 extending later. ally of the shell anddisposed in the zone of the bayonet slots or channels 40 and whichretaining spring has an arrangement that is well illustrated in Figs. 2,3 and 5. This spring extends laterally and conforms generallyto thecurvature of the shell and is depressed at its intermediate portion 41to contact with the sheath 28 or 28 of the plug, this depressed portionbeing received 1n the transverse slotor opening 42 and be. ingsubstantially co-extensive with this slot tohave abutting engagement atthe ends of the slot where the spring rises to have its sections 41engage the exterior of the shell 99 depressed to enter the bayonet slots40 and engage the. sheath 28 or 28, these spring en s extending acrossthe entrance branches of the bayonet slots 40 to be enga ed by thebayonet pins or projections 39. hen the plug 22-23-is inserted thebayonet pins or projections 39 en age the spring 41 and flex itlongitudina ly ofthe shellfrom its normal plane, this lane being resumedby the spring when t e bayonet pins are in their seats owing to theresilience of the spring and the substantially fixed anchora e of thespring at its mid portion to the she l, the ends of the spring 41serving to hold these bayonet pins in their seats. Any 105 preferredmeans may be employed for holdmally to hold the spring in its plane, the

en agement of the spring and shell being su ciently firm to establish a,substantially fixed relation between the mid section 41 129 of thespring with the shell so that the spring-is merely permitted to yield,due to its own resilience, when the plu 22-23 is being ihserted withinor. remove from the shell. The ends of the spring are depressedintothebayonet slots to engage the sheath of the plug and thereby havefull efiective engagement with the bayonet pins. While the sprin 41 isshown for the purpose of holding t 'e plug inassembly with the shell 13it is obvious that it is not limitedrto the nature of the contactcarrier that it serves to hold in position.

The plug structure herein disclosed and parts in association therewithformthe subect matter of a division of this application Serial N 0.258,065, filed October 14:, 1918.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferredembodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction shown as changes may readily be madewithout'departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thusdescribed my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatentthe following 1. The combination with a shell having bayonetchannels therein; of a contact carrier provided with receivable in saidbayonet channels; and a spring extending laterally of and substantiallyfixedly secured at an intermediate portion to the shell, the ends ofsaid spring being located to engage said bayonet projections and hoidthem in their seats, the intermediate and end portions of the springextending into engagement with the contact carrlier through openingsprovided in the she] 2. The combination with a shell having bayonetchannels therein; of a contact carrier provided with bayonerprojectionsreceivable in said bayonet channels; and a spring extending laterally ofandsubstantially fixedly secured at an intermediate portion to theshell, the ends of said spring being located to engage said bayonetprobayonet projections jections and hold them in their seats, the endportions of the spring extending into engagement with the contactcarrier through openings provided in the shell to engage the bayonetprojections that extend into these openings and elsewhere engaging theexterior of the shell.

3. The combination with a shell having bayonet channels therein; of acontact can rier provided with bayonet projections receivable in saidspring extending laterally of and substantially fixedly secured at anintermediate portion to the shell, the ends of said spring being locatedto engage said bayonet projections and hold them in their seats, theintermediate and end portions of the spring extending into openingsprovided in the shell.

41 The combination with a shell having bayonet channels therein; of acontact carrier provided with bayonet projections receivable in saidbayonet channels; and a spring extending laterally of and substantiallyfixedly secured at an intermediate portion vto the shell, the ends ofsaid spring being located to engage said bayonet projections and holdthem in their seats, the end portions of the spring extending intoopenings provided in the shell to engage the bayonet, projections thatextend into these openings. t

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe bayonet channels; and a v myname this thirtieth day of January,

HARRY A. DOUGLAS,

